01 · the cities
Oxnard
Oxnard is California's strawberry capital, where the fields literally run up to the beach. Channel Islands Harbor is a quiet alternative to the busier Ventura and Santa Barbara, with great seafood and a chill Mexican food scene. The weather is the perfect 65-and-overcast that locals call 'June gloom' for most of summer. The Channel Islands themselves are a ferry ride away.
full dispatch→Madison
Madison sits on an isthmus between two lakes, with the state capitol gleaming on one end and the University of Wisconsin sprawling on the other. The Saturday farmers market around the Capitol Square is one of the best in the country. Cheese curds, brats, and beer are mandatory food groups. The Terrace at Memorial Union, looking out at Lake Mendota, is the unofficial heart of the city in summer.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,995/mo
$1,673/mo
$1,322/mo less than Oxnard (79%)
Median home price
Median home price
$923k
$465k
$458k less than Oxnard
State income tax
State income tax
9.3%
6.3%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,563/mo
$6,138/mo
Madison has $1,575/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
342 days
147 days
195 fewer than Oxnard
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
71 days
days below 20°F per year
Madison drops below 20°F on 71 more days per year than Oxnard.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
74 / 100
67 / 100
7.0 pts behind Oxnard
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
0 routes
11 routes
11 more direct routes than Oxnard
Metro size
Metro size
830k metro
694k metro
Oxnard has 1.7x fewer events per month than Madison.
the verdict
3
Oxnard
categories won
5
Madison
categories won
Madison wins on money. Oxnard has the edge on weather.
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